Safehold

The main action takes place in the 31st century on the planet Seyfhold - the last planet inhabited by people after the aggressive xenophobic alien race Gbaba in the 2300s destroyed the Terran Federation. Attacked for no apparent reason, mankind fiercely resisted, and managed to gain a number of victories, but as a result, numerical superiority and more advanced Gbaba technologies prevailed, and one by one, all the worlds inhabited by people were destroyed.

Realizing the inevitability of the death of the Solar System, mankind was able to carry out the “Ark” operation - secretly lead a colonization fleet through the Gbaba blockade and direct it to the distant planet Seyhold. A previous similar attempt ended in disaster: Gaba discovered the first secretly founded colony on electromagnetic radiation of high-tech equipment of the colonists, and destroyed it. Therefore, the authors of Operation Ark decided that the colony at Seyfhold would have to remain at the technological level for several centuries or even millennia, until Gbaba decided that humanity no longer exists and stopped searching for surviving outposts.

After this, civilization on Seyfhold again had to begin to develop, and prepare for a new meeting with the enemy. Gbaba is a stagnant, non-developing race, frozen in technological and cultural development for many millennia, and if human civilization on Seyfhold could have developed above the available Gbaba level, then it would be relatively easy to cope with an incapable aggressor.

But when, several centuries after the death of the Terran Federation, the colonial fleet reached Seifold, the senior administrator of the colony, Eric Langhorn revised the original plan. Convinced that Gbaba was invincible, and who believed that technological progress was to blame for the fact that humanity was on the verge of destruction, Langhorn decided to stop the development of people forever. For this purpose, he and his associates erased the memories of the colonists in suspended animation, destroying any memory of the Terran Federation and high technology, after which the artificially created religion was forbidden to the colonists, prohibiting the independent search for scientific knowledge. A group of technocrats led by Dr. Pei Shing-Wei revolted against the actions of Langhorn: the result was a destructive war in which both groups died.

As a result, 850 years after colonization, Seifold's society, squeezed by the limitations of artificial religion, was still at a level of development roughly corresponding to the late Middle Ages. The central authority on the planet belonged to the Church of the Lord Expectant created by Langhor, artificially restraining technological progress.

Just at that time, Dr. Pei Shing-Wei's backup plan was triggered: an android awakens in a secret bunker, which contains a record of the identity of officer Nimue Albano, who died during the breakthrough of the Gababa blockade. Resurrected in an electronic body, Nimue (under the alter ego of Merlin Antraves) decides to fulfill Dr. Shing-Wei’s plan and tear Seyfhold out of the religious control of the deeply corrupt Church, re-directing humanity to the path of development.

See the list of books "Safehold"

First cycle

• “From the Armageddon Reefs” ( English Off Armageddon Reef ), 2007
• “Shattered by Schism” ^[1] ( born By Schism Rent Asunder ), 2008
• “Separated by Heresy” ^[1] ( eng. By Heresies Distressed ), 2009
• The Mighty Fortress ^[2] ( eng. A Mighty Fortress ), 2010
• “How firm is the foundation” ^[3] ( eng. How Firm a Foundation ), 2011
• "In the Works of the Sorrowful" ^[1] ( born Midst Toil and Tribulation ), 2012
• “Like the mighty army” ^[2] ( eng. Like a Mighty Army ), 2014
• “The foundations of the abyss tremble” ^[2] ( Eng. Hell's Foundations Quiver ), 2015
• “Before the banner of victory” ^[2] ( eng. Hat the Sign of Triumph ), 2016, end of the first cycle.

Second cycle

• Through fiery trials March 2019 ( Coming soon )

Planet Safehold

The planet Seyfhold was discovered by the Terran Federation in the 2400s and colonized in a period of at least 10 years after 2410. The planet’s development was preceded by an 8-year terraforming program that brought the planet’s biosphere and ecosystem to human standards.

Seyfhold is slightly smaller than the Earth, which, however, is offset by its higher relative density. Due to this, the gravity on the planet is close to 1 g. The axis of rotation of the planet is tilted more strongly, which leads to sharper seasonal fluctuations in climate, and the average temperature on the surface of the planet is lower than the Earth. The percentage land area on Seyfhold is slightly larger than on Earth: this land is divided into two main continents (Haven and Howard, connected by a narrow isthmus) in the northern hemisphere of the planet, and many relatively large subcontinent and archipelagos in the southern hemisphere. In general, land and sea on Seyhold are more evenly distributed, and land is more dispersed than on Earth.

During the development of the planet, terrestrial species of plants and animals were introduced onto it (for example, dogs and horses), and a number of local species were genetically modified for human use (the so-called "dragons", large six-legged herbivores used as draft animals , and wyverns, small flying creatures used as carrier pigeons, currently the planet’s ecology is stable, and a natural balance is maintained between introduced and native forms.

Church of the Lord Awaiting

An artificial religion formed by Eric Langhorn and his associates with the goal of forever keeping humanity from progress. The fundamental doctrine of TSGO is the thesis that people should receive knowledge from above: an attempt to know the world on their own is the temptation of evil.

In the teachings of the TSGO, Laghorn and his associates (as well as a number of historical personalities of the Earth) are archangels and angels , servants of God. Prayers and religious texts are dedicated to them. Supporters of Dr. Pei Shin-Wei, who resisted Langhorn’s plans to bind humanity with a false religion, were declared “fallen archangels,” the embodiment of evil.

The main document of the Center is the so-called. "Holy Scripture" compiled by Langhorn and his supporters. This (divided into several books) sets out the fake story of the development of Seyfhold as an act of divine creation, provides the main religious theses and prohibitions, as well as the necessary scientific and technical information of a geographical, medical and agronomic nature. A special point of the “Holy Scripture” of the Central Organ of Science is “Zo-Jing's prohibitions”, which stipulate the acceptable level of technology. Zo-Jing’s prohibitions limit the technology people allow to use water, wind, fire, and muscular strength. ^[4] An extremely clear point of restrictions is the ban on the development of electricity, because "lightning belongs only to God." Compliance with the "prohibitions" is monitored by the Inquisition, applying harsh penalties to heretics.

The church is governed by the Council of Vicars and is led by the Great Vicar. By the year 890 of the Lord, however, the Great Vicar had become a purely formal figure controlled by the corrupt supreme clergy. The church controls the collection of church tax (20% of income) from all countries of Seyfhold, formally directed to the construction of new churches, the construction of roads and canals, and the care of the sick and starving. In reality, the income of the Church as a result became a source of enrichment and political power of the corrupt elite.

Rakurai

A system of orbital kinetic bomber platforms located by Langhorn in orbit of Seyfhold. The main goal of the platforms is to ensure that humanity will never be able to re-create a technological civilization that can artificially emit the existence of Seyhold Gaba. Eric Langhorn used platforms to destroy Dr. Shing Wei and her supporters in the Alexandria enclave, turning a whole subcontinent into the chaos of flooded craters known as Armageddon Reefs.

In the 890s, platforms still functioned, at least in terms of self-defense. It is not known exactly what triggers Rakurai - a kind of command control, or an automatic algorithm that prescribes to strike at detected signs of high technology. Merlin suggests that the platforms are programmed to respond to electromagnetic signatures similar to power plants (given that the “Bans” strongly prohibit the use of electricity). Platforms did not respond to Charis’s introduction of steam engines.

Seijin

The legendary “sacred warriors” in Seifold folklore. It is believed that Seiji undergo training in secret mountain monasteries, and receive from God and the Archangels mystical powers that are superior to those available to people. Merlin Atraves used the legends of Seiji to justify his “superhuman” capabilities provided by high technology.

Schism

The history of Seyfhold did not know major religious crises until the 890s, when the sovereign power in the Church usurped the so-called. “Group of four” - Chancellor Zamsin Taynar, Captain-General Alline Maguire, Treasurer Robar Dyushrain and Grand Inquisitor Zasfar Klintan. Convinced of its omnipotence, the “group of four” made a short-sighted decision to provoke the aggression of a number of maritime powers against the kingdom of Charis, which the corrupt clergy considered as a threat to their personal interests. Thanks to the intervention of Merlin Atravis and the innovations he proposed, the Church’s “win-win” plan ended in catastrophic failure.

Soon after, Charis’s clergy, outraged by the corruption prevailing in the Central Defense Council and the decision of the “group of four” to ruin the whole country just because it interfered with their personal interests, proclaimed that Charis would withdraw from subordination of the administrative structure of the Church. An independent Charis Church was formed, making a clear distinction between spiritual and secular authority. The “Group of Four”, realizing that the authority of the Central Organ (in particular their personal authority) was in danger, declared the inhabitants of Charis heretics and proclaimed a “holy war against the apostates”.

Safefold Nations

By the year 890 of the Lord ^{[5], the} population of Seyfhold was about 1 billion. Although the general technological level of the planet corresponded approximately to the late Middle Ages / early Renaissance, the principles of developed agriculture and advanced medicine introduced within the framework of religious dogma made it possible to achieve high land use productivity and avoid devastating epidemics. The population of the planet is divided into many sovereign nations, both relatively large and small. Of the main ones involved in the series:

Kingdom of Charis / Empire of Charis

The Kingdom of Charis (hereinafter referred to as the Charis Empire) is the main protagonist state in the series. This is a sea power located on the homonymous subcontinent and adjacent islands in the southern hemisphere of Seyfhold. The political system of Charis is a parliamentary monarchy . Since the 700s, the Armahk dynasty has been in power. Due to the considerable distance from the main centers of the Church, its influence in Charis has always been somewhat weakened. As a result, it was in Charis that the community of the monastery of St. Zhernier settled, whose leaders secretly kept knowledge of the true history of Seyfhold.

By the year 890 of the Lord, the kingdom of Charis was a leader in maritime trade and industrial production at Seyfhold (especially the metallurgical industry) and led an increasingly active foreign policy. This caused serious concern for the corrupt ruling elite of the Church - unofficially called the "group of four", who feared that the strengthening of Charis would weaken the political influence and wealth of the higher clergy. To “solve the problem,” the Church unofficially initiated and funded an attack on Charis by the combined fleets of several other maritime powers. Thanks to the intervention of Merlin Antraves (alter-ego Nimue Albano), the plan, aimed at ruining and destroying Charis, failed completely. Outraged by the fact that the Group of Four used the influence of the Church to satisfy their political ambitions and planned the destruction of the whole country, the higher clergy of Charis then decided to withdraw from submission to the corrupt church elite, laying the foundations for the first total religious war in the history of Seyhold.

Subsequently, the kingdom of Charis became for Merlin Antraves the main pillar in his long-playing plan for crushing the religious dictates of the Church, restoring technological potential and the ingenuity of mankind suppressed by the Church. It was in Charis that the so-called. “Inner Circle”: A group of dignitaries, including King Kyleb II, who know the true story of Seyfhold and the Terran Federation.

Thanks to technological innovations initiated by Merlin, the kingdom of Charis was able to withstand the confrontation with the Church. A dynastic marriage that united the ruling dynasties of Charis and Chisholm and the subsequent subjugation of Emerald, Tarot and Korisand led to the formation of the Charis Empire.

Kingdom of Chisholm

A large kingdom on the subcontinent of Chisholm, about 1,500 miles from Charis. It is ruled by the monarchical dynasty Tait, the ruling representative of which in 890 of the Lord was Queen Charlien. Like Charis, the state is a parliamentary monarchy, but the remnants of feudalism are still relatively strong, for the final centralization of the country came only under the last monarchs. Although Chisholm is an island power, its main military force was considered a powerful and well-trained royal army (organized under the father of Queen Charlien), and not the fleet.

In 890, under pressure from the Church, Chisholm joined the war against Charis, but his relatively small fleet was quickly defeated. Subsequently, Chisholm took a pro-Charisse position, condemning the Group of Four for starting a war, and in 892 a marriage was concluded between Queen Charlien and King Charis Kyleb II, uniting dynasties and countries into a single Charis Empire. This alliance was extremely important for Charis in the confrontation with the Church, since Charis did not have a strong ground army.

Republic of Siddarmark

One of the largest continental states of Seyfhold, with a total population of over 129.5 million people. The capital is Siddar. The Republic is ruled by a protector lord, de facto elected by a dictator. The Republic's army, consisting mainly of pikemen, was considered the strongest at Seifold, numbering (taking into account a well-trained militia) up to 3 million people.

With the onset of the religious split between the CHO and the Charis Church, the Republic took a neutral position due to long-standing ties with Charis. Although the Republic officially obeyed the Church’s demand to close the ports, nevertheless, through the “smugglers”, trade with Charis de facto continued. This aroused the concern of the “group of four” that the Republic might eventually take the side of Charis. In the year 895 of the Lord, agents of the Inquisition at the initiative of Zasfar Klintan provoked a bloody civil war in the Republic, which led to disastrous consequences for the population.

Principality of Corisande ( Princedom of Corisande )

The main antagonist state for the first three books. Located on a large subcontinent in the eastern hemisphere near Chisholm, it has significant colonial and vassal possessions on neighboring islands - the so-called. The Korisanda League, largely formed by the reign of the last prince. The form of government is an absolute monarchy.

It was Korisand, under the rule of Hector Daikin (who was trying to expand his empire) who became the main initiator of the Church’s actions against Charis. As a result of hostilities, however, Korisand was defeated and eventually occupied by the Charis Empire, and Prince Hector was killed by agents of the Church immediately before the signing of the surrender. Formal power passed to the Regency Council, acting on behalf of the minor heirs of the prince. Subsequently, the Church made several attempts to foment a general rebellion against occupation in Korisanda, but for a number of reasons they all ended in failure.

Principality of Emerald , Kingdom of Tarot

Small island states. Emerald has long been considered the main opponent of Charis on the seas. Tarot was considered an ally of Charis, but under pressure from the Church he was forced to terminate the alliance. Both nations initially supported the actions of the Church against Charis, but after a devastating defeat, they revised their position. Later they were annexed to the Charis Empire and included in its composition. Prince Emerald Narshman II and King Tarot Gorj Aliksandar III took a vassal oath of the imperial dynasty: the first subsequently became one of the main protagonists of the series.

Harkong Empire

The oldest and largest state of Seyfhold, somewhat reminiscent of ancient China. The emperor, formally possessing absolute power, in practice is only a puppet in the hands of an extremely ramified (and deeply corrupt) bureaucracy.

Although Harkong has enormous human potential, its industry and agriculture are very primitive even by the standards of Seyfhold, and relies mainly on slave labor. The army and navy of Harkong are also huge, but poorly organized, and soldiers and sailors are usually recruited by force. In view of this, the ruling elite of Harkong is especially loyal to the Church of the Lord Expecting, since religion is a reliable way for them to keep the people in obedience.

Kingdom of Dohlar

A large mainland state, which is an absolute monarchy. He is the owner of one of the largest fleets among the mainland states and pays considerable attention to the development of naval affairs. He has been in economic confrontation with Charis since the moment when, with the aim of developing his own merchant fleet, King Dolshar Rakhnild IV began to introduce a blockade regime on the high seas, demanding payment of a fee for passage of merchant ships through waters that are not related to its territorial. This practice, aimed at suppressing foreign trade, caused considerable indignation in Charis and other marine nations of Seyfhold, and became one of the reasons for Dolshar joining the Holy War against Charis.

Since the defeat of Emerald and Korisand, the Dalshar fleet has been the main and most dangerous adversary of the Charis Empire on the seas, since Dalshar has a long maritime tradition and a competent, senior officer capable of adapting to the situation.

Desnairian Empire

A major empire on mainland Howard. A powerful, but relatively backward state with a feudal-slave system. It is one of the main suppliers of gold to the economy of Seyfhold, thanks to its gold mines.

The historic adversary of the Republic of Siddarmark. At one time, between the two nations there were three wars, the first of which the Republic lost, the second managed to draw in a draw, and the third won so effectively that only the intervention of the Church saved Deshnaria from complete defeat.

Temple Land

Vast territory under the direct control of the Church of the Lord Waiting. Formally, secular power in the Lands of the Temple belongs to the so-called. “Knights of the temple lands”: in practice, the vast majority of “knights of the temple lands” are also the highest ranks of the Church.

The lands of the Temple are not particularly large in comparison with other continental powers and are located in very cold latitudes, but are densely populated and well developed. The church takes care of maintaining infrastructure, including bridges, canals, roads and an optical telegraph system.

The capital of the Temple Lands is the city of Zion, which stands on a narrow isthmus between the vast Lake Pei and the Temple Bay. In the center of Zion is the Temple of the Lord, a gigantic structure built by the "archangels" using ultra-strong building materials and technologies of the Terran Federation. The temple still retains some elements of high technology: for example, an automatic air conditioning system (perceived by the Church as evidence of divine blessing) is functioning smoothly in the building. Merlin Atraves also found signatures of certain energy sources in the dungeons under the Temple, but could not figure out what kind of equipment it might be.

Safefield Technologies

For most of Seifold’s 890-year history, the average level of technology on the planet corresponded to the late Earth medieval. A definite exception was the extremely high level of sanitation and medicine introduced into religious dogma. Seyfold medicine knew the principles of anesthesia, sterile operations and the use of natural antibiotics (obtained from local vegetation modified by scientists of the Federation during the terraformation of the planet). About 200 years before the awakening of Nimue Albano, gunpowder was reinvented at Seyfold ^[6] , and, thanks to corruption prevailing in the COX, it spread widely in Seyfold's military affairs.

After her awakening, Nimue Albano, under the alter ego of Merlin Atraves, contributed to the implementation of the following technologies in Charis:

* granular gunpowder

* flint and wheel muskets instead of previously used wicks

* guns with trunnions

* rifled and breech-loading weapons

* sailing warships instead of the previously dominant galley rowing fleets

* HE shells

* unitary cartridges

* steam engines

* pneumatic machine and conveyor lines - due to the inability to use electrical energy because of fears to provoke a reaction of Rakurai platforms.

* Arabic numerals and basic modern mathematics

Regardless of Merlin Atraves, the inhabitants of Seyfold themselves invented pyroxylin gunpowder, ship armor and a number of other technologies. Although Charis is still the main source of innovation, the nations opposing him were forced to start adopting new technologies, and in the end, they began to invent on their own.

The first three novels in the series were on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best Seller List , and the first book, Off Armageddon Reef, ranked 33rd on the New York Times bestseller list. ^[7] . In 2008, the first book of the series was nominated for an Arthur Clark Prize .

• https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2009-07-26/hardcover-fiction/list.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2009-08-02/hardcover-fiction/list.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2009-08-09/hardcover-fiction/list.html